FKI
TypePrivate
IndustryEngineering
Founded1920
HeadquartersLoughborough, UK
OwnerMelrose
Websitewww.fki.co.uk

FKI is a British engineering and manufacturing company headquartered in Loughborough, Leicestershire. For many years listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, it was taken private by buyout firm Melrose in July 2008.

History

The company was founded in 1920 as a manufacturer of parking meters, trading as Fisher Limited. The name was subsequently changed to Fisher Karpark Industries ('FKI'). In 1987 it merged with Babcock International to form FKI Babcock[1] but then demerged the heavy engineering parts of Babcock again in 1989.[2] The company was taken private by buyout firm Melrose in July 2008[3] in a deal worth over £500 million.[4]

Organisation and subsidiaries

FKI plc has a large number of subsidiaries, which it divides into four groups:

  • Energy Technology - Electrical generation apparatus
  • Lifting Products and Services - Lifting apparatus (wire ropes, hooks etc.). The waste recycling businesses operated by FKI (recycling machinery) are also incorporated into this section.
  • Hardware - Domestic fittings - door handles, hinges etc. as well as office fittings.
  • FKI Logistex - Product handling automation - conveyor belts, RFID implementation, baggage handling automation etc.

Energy technology

The Brush group of companies are incorporated into this section, including Brush Turbogenerators manufacturers of mechanical to electrical generation systems,[5] Brush-Barclay and Brush Traction, both involved in rail locomotive manufacture and repair[6] (on 28 February 2011 Wabtec announced that it had acquired Brush Traction for US$31 million)[7] and Brush Transformers which manufactures electrical transformers and switchgear.[8]

Other companies in this group are FKI switchgear (now renamed Hawker Siddeley Switchgear Ltd.) which incorporates Brush switchgear, Whipp & Bourne and others.[9]

Harrington Generators International (HGI) manufacture generator sets for rail, road, and light commercial and agricultural use, as well as supplying the British Army (MoD) with generators.[10]

MarelliMotori also produces electrical generators as well as induction motors.[11]

Lifting products and services

Acco Material Handling manufactures cranes, hoists and other crane components as well as hand trucks.[12]

Harris Waste Management Group, Inc manufactures balers and shredders for the waste recycling sector.[13]

Welland Forge produces impression die forgings for the automotive, construction, agricultural and recreational markets.[14]

Hardware

Truth Hardware corporation manufactures commercial window and doors, and fittings.[15]

Weber Knapp produces office fittings including counterbalance devices.[16]

Former businesses

FKI Logistex

Logistex produces a full range of item handling automation systems including baggage handling, storage and retrieval systems, conveyors, library systems including RFID solutions, warehousing automation and sorting systems.[17] The company's North American operations were acquired by Intelligrated in June 2009.[18] The European Logistex operations known as Crisplant a/s, who specialized in airport systems, tilt tray and crossbelt sorters, were acquired by BEUMER GmbH in July 2009.

References

  1. ↑ National Archives
  2. ↑ "Records of Babcock Industrial & Electrical Products Ltd Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine" Glasgow University Archive Services
  3. ↑ Bland, Ben (2 July 2008). "Ebbing confidence and bank rumours push down FTSE 100". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  4. ↑ Kavanagh, Michael (28 June 2008). "Small-cap company meets big ambitions". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 July 2008.
  5. ↑ BRUSH Turbogenerators
  6. ↑ Brush Traction BRUSH Barclay and BRUSH Traction
  7. ↑ "Wabtec buys Brush Traction". Railway Gazette International. 28 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
  8. ↑ BRUSH Transformers Ltd Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Switchgear: Whipp & Bourne and Hawker Siddeley Switchgear Limited
  10. ↑ Harrington Generators International
  11. ↑ MarelliMotori
  12. ↑ accomhs.com Acco Material Handling Solutions
  13. ↑ harriswaste.com Harris Waste Management Group, Inc
  14. ↑ wellandforge.com Welland Forge
  15. ↑ Truth Hardware Corporation
  16. ↑ Weber Knapp Company
  17. ↑ FKI Logistex
  18. ↑ Intelligrated Completes Acquisition of FKI Logistex Archived 2009-11-25 at the Wayback Machine 23/6/2009 www.intelligrated.com
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